Dan's Knee
The Incident Little is known of the specific circumstances surrounding Dan's traumatic knee injury, and the details we do have are rather sketchy: Dan suffered the life-changing episode during a Vermont ski trip. Was it just an accident, or something more sinister? Or maybe Dan deliberately sacrificed himself in order to protect an innocent child by maneuvering his own body between the child and some physical danger? It also could have been an elderly nun. Lacking definitive facts, speculation naturally runs wild. What we do know is that the injury was severe enough to necessitate surgical intervention. In what is nothing less than a modern medical miracle, he received a transplant consisting of a ligament harvested posthumously from an anonymous donor. Mere decades ago, such treatment was simply impossible. Convalescence A great many knee injury victims, facing a future of relentless physical pain and merciless social stigma, choose to live out the remainder of their wretched days hidden in the shadows. But not Dan. Unwilling to suffer the woeful fate of so many in his dire situation, Dan marshalled the vast force of will necessary to keep his excruciating physical therapy appointments, maintain his grueling home exercise regime, and endure the debilitating side effects of his various prescription medications. Even if one somehow manages to make it out the other side, it is a well-established fact in the medical literature that a knee injury of the type inflicted upon Dan requires an entire year to fully recover. Despite this fact, Dan determinedly returned to work and kept his scheduled appearances. In doing so he not only made public his individual struggle, but also gave voice to the teeming millions who suffer through life bearing the scars of their own brutal destinies. Approximately 100,000 Americans each year undergo total knee reconstruction. Thanks to Dan and his efforts to spark a national conversation, there is a face for this silent healthcare crisis. Finally these victims have a champion. Knee Injuries in Cinema Dan's story, coupled with his prominence in the entertainment industry, opened a lot of eyes to Hollywood's irresponsible handling of America's knee injury epidemic. On the big screen, they are often portrayed in a callous -- sometimes even comical -- fashion, totally contrary to the grim reality faced by actual victims. If you are a person for whom depictions of knee violence is a PTSD trigger, it may be wise to avoid these films altogether (spoiler alert): *''Alice, Sweet Alice'' (1976) Annie is stabbed in the knee. *''The Book of Eli'' (2010) *''Child's Play'' (1988) Chucky is shot in the left knee, but since he is a magical doll this does not impede him. *''Creature'' (2011) Niles is shot in the knee. *''Curse of Chucky'' (2013) Chucky lodges a hatchet in Nica's knee. *''The Departed'' (2006) A bank robber is shot in the knee. *''The Desolation of Smaug'' (2013) Kili the dwarf takes a poisoned arrow in the knee. *''Desperado'' (1995) During a gang initiation, the applicant's kneecap is crushed. *''Django Unchained'' (2012) A man is shot in both knees, and then explodes. *''Dream a Little Dream 2 (1994) Corey Haim's character shoots someone in the knee. *''The Firm (1993) Gary Busey's character shoots a hitman in the knee. *''Friday Night Lights'' (2004) Boobie takes a hard hit during a game, breaking his left knee with an audible crunch. *''Funny Games'' (1997, 2007) Paul strikes Georg in the knee with a golf club. *''Inception'' (2010) Arthur is shot in the knee. *''The Island (2005) *''The Karate Kid (1984) During competition, Bobby delivers a disabling jump kick to Daniel's knee and is immediately disqualified. *''Labyrinth'' (1986) Sir Didymus strikes Ludo in the knee with his staff. *''Machete'' (2010) Padre is shot in the knee. *''Mad Max'' (1979) Max is shot in the left knee. *''Miami Vice'' (2006) Zito is shot in the knee. *''Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead (1995) Under torture, the protagonist's knee is reportedly "corkscrewed." *''Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) Both of General Marquez's knees are blown off with a shotgun. *''The Orphanage'' (2007) Laura runs and falls, breaking her leg and suffering a bloody knee. *''Ricochet'' (1991) John Lithgow's character shoots a gang leader in the knee. *''Savages'' (2012) *''Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'' (1991) Kirk kicks an alien in the knee. *''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991) An entire squad of SWAT team members is shot in the knee. *''The Thin Red Line'' (1998) An American GI is shot in the knee. *''Undead or Alive: A Zombedy'' (2007) A zombie is shot in both knees. *''Under Siege 2: Dark Territory'' (1995) Kelly is shot in the knee. *''Varsity Blues'' (1999) Lance takes a hard hit during a game, breaking his knee. *''Welcome to the Punch'' (2013) In the opening scene, Detective Max Lewinsky is shot in the knee. *"Knee Injury" Movies (IMDb) *"Knee Wound" Movies (IMDb) Other Victims of Notable Knee Injuries *Bobby Brown, who was shot in the knee while attending a block party at age ten. *Shun Fujimoto, gymnast from Japan who scored a 9.7 on the rings at the 1976 Montréal Summer Olympics despite a broken knee. *Evel Knievel *Nancy Kerrigan *Ken Reeves (fictional character), the basketball coach on The White Shadow (1978-81) *Britney Spears, who blew out her left knee during a June 2004 video shoot (for the song "Outrageous") which required surgery. Spears later sued her insurance carriers after they balked at her $9.8 million claim.